Chapter Thirty-Five: Seeking a Bodyguard and a Physician

After a long day's journey, the four finally returned to the Mo family mansion. As soon as they entered the living room, they saw the so-called father pacing back and forth, looking extremely anxious.

Mo Lan wondered if they hadn't returned yet. She was tired from the drive back and hadn't had the chance to call and ask which route they had taken.

"Grandfather and the others aren't back yet?"

"Wasn't he with you? Where's Xiao Fan?" The so-called father rushed forward, grabbing Mo Lan's arms and shaking her desperately.

Mo Lan couldn't believe Grandfather's earlier joke—this was her mistake. What would she do if something really happened to him?

"I..." Mo Lan didn't know where to begin.

"Speak!" The so-called father was nearly hysterical, shaking her violently. An Feng quickly stepped forward, pushing the man away and steadying Mo Lan, who was about to fall.

Seeing someone intervene, Qian Yin stopped in her tracks. In fact, this man was a good match for Mo Lan; if they truly cared for each other, she would give them her blessing.

"Master Mo, I hope you won't get too agitated. We did encounter some trouble last night, but Master Mo Senior and the others left ahead of us. Perhaps they've gone to the pharmacy. Don't blame everything on Mo Lan—remember, she's your daughter too."

Speaking as an outsider, Qian Yin wanted to remind this father of his responsibilities.

Everyone present could see that Mo Lan was starved for affection, especially the love of her parents.

Master Mo's expression barely changed upon hearing this, though he remained deeply worried. He found a seat, sat down, and stayed silent.

An Feng helped Mo Lan to another seat, his brow furrowed. This family's atmosphere was indeed strange.

After more than ten minutes, Master Mo Senior entered, supported by Mo Fan. Seeing the odd mood in the hall, he asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

"Grandfather, you're back!"

"Father, Xiao Fan, you’re back!"

Mo Lan and her so-called father hurried over, anxiously examining the pair from head to toe. Once they were certain neither was hurt, their hearts finally settled.

"As long as you’re all safe, I’ll go rest for a bit," Mo Lan said, her voice slightly choked. With that, she turned and headed to her room.

"What’s wrong with Lan?" Master Mo Senior immediately sensed something had happened.

"She’s fine, Grandpa," Qian Yin replied. "We were just exhausted from last night. We’re all just tired—let’s get some rest." With that, she hurried after Mo Lan, slipping her arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the room.

Once inside, Mo Lan picked up a glass of cooled water and drank several cups in succession. Qian Yin sat quietly beside her, observing in silence.

After several glasses, Mo Lan finally felt a little more clear-headed. She sat down and stared silently at her teacup, lost in thought. It seemed Grandfather truly needed someone to protect him, and so did Mo Fan.

"Qian Yin, could you bring Leng Xue and An Feng here? I have something to discuss with the three of you." Mo Lan had no one else to turn to besides these two new acquaintances. After all, neither of them was ordinary, and they could surely help.

Qian Yin was troubled herself—should she tell them about the boss? She had felt uneasy these past two days. No one had leaked their whereabouts, so how did those people know they were traveling overnight? And how did they know the exact timing?

If someone had been following, they would have been discovered. Surely no expert is so skilled as to remain undetected.

Could it be that the boss was truly someone from another world, with the ability to foresee the future?

The thought made Qian Yin’s heart leap, nearly stopping.

"Ah! Oh, I’ll go call them right away." Still lost in thought, Qian Yin was jolted by Mo Lan’s gentle tap on her shoulder and quickly went outside.

Mo Lan was left helpless. It seemed everyone had worries of their own.

Qian Yin stepped out, glanced at the two men, and said, "Come in!" before returning to the room.

The two men followed closely, frowning deeply at the doorway. Did these women not know that men should not enter a lady’s private chambers so casually? Especially women of good breeding—surely they understood such decorum?

"Didn’t you hear me tell you to come in?" Qian Yin, irritated, saw the door wide open and the two men hesitating outside, and shouted in annoyance.

The other servants, hearing her outburst, looked surprised but kept their heads down in silence. Still, each thought to themselves: Miss’s friend is certainly formidable.

An Feng and Mo Lan felt a little awkward, while Leng Xue let out a wry laugh. Downstairs, Grandfather smiled broadly, seemingly not bothered at all and even hoping to see them together. After all, they were at a suitable age for marriage.

Once the three were seated, Mo Lan poured each a glass of water and, full of anticipation, asked, "Don’t you know any highly skilled doctors or bodyguards?"

Qian Yin nearly choked at the question. The four of them were already quite capable; where else could they look?

An Feng glanced at Mo Lan and replied seriously, "My grandfather once had a famous physician friend, but he’s long since retired into the mountains. It will be very difficult to persuade him to come back, but if he does, your grandfather should be well taken care of."

Leng Xue shook his head, indicating he knew of no suitable bodyguards.

After some thought, Qian Yin decided to call on her four young disciples. Though not as skilled as she was, each was loyal and dependable.

"I’ll bring over four youngsters. They’ll be enough to protect Mo Fan and your grandfather."

With that, she sent them a message: Qian Yin: I’m at the Mo family’s house. Come see me at once. All four of you together.

"Once Qian Yin’s people arrive, we’ll go invite that physician out of retirement," An Feng said.

"His name is Old Sage, or you may call him Sage Elder. He’s highly knowledgeable about herbal medicine and acupuncture, and he loves rare medicinal herbs. If you wish to keep him at your family home, you’ll need to be mentally prepared," An Feng continued.

The others nodded. Leng Xue thought perhaps he could help; he had three thousand-year-old ginseng roots in his collection, gifts from buyers, though not kept here. He would need to return home to fetch them.

"I need to go home. I’ll be back tomorrow," Leng Xue announced, opening the door and striding out without another word.

The three left behind didn’t mind; each was lost in thought, searching for solutions.

Qian Yin still worried about something else: would those four youngsters be willing to stay at the Mo household? After all, they once enjoyed such freedom.